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35th Congress, > HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ( Ex. Doc. 
1st Session. \ I No. 72. 



NUMBER OF TROOPS IN THE LAST WAR WITH GREAT 

BRITAIN. 



LETTER 



FROM T11K 



PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 



COMMUNICATING 



Information in relation to the number of troops engaged in the service of 
the United States in the late war with Great Britain. 



March 4, 1858. — Referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. 



To the House of Bepresentatives : 

I herewith transmit to the House of Representatives communications- 
from the Secretary of War and Secretary of the Interior, in answer to 
the resolution adopted by the House on the 5th ultimo, requesting the 
President to furnish certain information in relation to the number of 
troops, whether regulars, volunteers, draughted men, or militia, who 
were engaged in the service of the United States in the last war with 
Great Britain, &c, &c. 

JAMES BUCHANAN. 

Washington City, March 4, 1858. 



War Department, 

Washington, February 23, 1858. 

Sir : I have the honor to transmit herewith reports of the Adjutant 
General and Third Auditor, giving all the information in the posses- 
sion of those bureaus, in answer to a resolution of the House of Rep- 
resentatives of the 5th instant, requesting the President of the United 
States to furnish certain information in relation to the number of 
troops, whether regulars, volunteers, draughted men, or militia, who 
were mustered into the service in the last war with Great Britain ; 
those engaged in like manner in any of the Indian wars during the 
same period ; and the number of persons to whom bounty lands have- 



2 NUMBER OF TROOPS IN LAST WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN. 

been awarded for services in said war of 1812, or in the said Indian 

wars, &c. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

y l •" J W. R. DRINKARD, 

Acting Secretary of War. 

The President of the United States. 



War Department, 
Adjutant General's Office, Washington, Feb. 9, 1858. 

Sir : In compliance with the resolution of the House of Represen- 
tatives of the 5th instant, I have the honor to submit the following 
statement, which comprises all the information to be gathered from 
the records of this office: 

1. The war of 1812, {with Great Britain.) 

The whole number of officers and men in the regular service during 
the war cannot be given. The following statement of the numbers at 
different periods of the war is the nearest approximation that can be 
made to it : 

Officers. Men. Aggregate. 

July, 1812 301 6,385 0,686 

February, 1813 1,476 17,560 19,036 

September, 1814 2,395 35,791 38,186 

February, 1815 2,396 31,028 33,424 

The militia force mustered into the service of the United States 
during the war was 31,210 officers, 440,412 men; 471,622 aggregate. 

A detailed statement of this force, the period of service, and State 
or Territory in which raised, will be found in document No. 20, 2d 
session 24th Congress, 1836-37, (House Reps.) 

2. Indian tear of 1811. 

In November, 1811, the regular force in service was 414 officers, 
5,194 men ; 5,608 aggregate. 

According to the statement of the Third Auditor, none of the militia 
who served in this war were in service for the period of six months. 
Those i Qgaged in the battle of Tippecanoe, though mustered into 
service for three months, under the law of February 28, 1795, were 
only in service about two months. 

3. l'.ul little can be ascertained with regard to the force under 
General Wayne, in 1794 and 1795. It appears, from American State 
Papers, vol. 1, Military Affairs, pages 67 and 109, that the number 
of non-commissioned officers and privates of his army, in June, 1794, 
was 2,8 13, and in December, 1795, 2,039. 

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

S. COOPER, 

Adjutant General. 

Hon. John B. Floyd, 

Secretary of War. 



NUMBER OF TROOPS IN LAST WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN. 



Treasury Department, 
Third Auditor's Office, February 22, 1858. 

Sir : I have the honor to return to you, herewith, the resolution 
of the House of Representatives of the 5th instant, which you refer- 
red to me for a report — 

First. As to the whole number of officers, non-commissioned officers, 
musicians^ pnd privates, whether regulars, volunteers, draughted 
men ormilitia, at any time engaged in or mustered into the service of 
the United States, in the last war with Great Britain. 

Second. What was the whole number in like manner engaged in 
any of the Indian wars which occurred during the same period, dis- 
tinguishing in both cases the number of those engaged for a greater 
or less period than one month ; also the same information as to those 
engaged in any of the Indian wars from the close of the revolutionary 
war to the commencement of the war of 1812. 

The third section of the resolution is referriblc to the Commissioner 
of Pensions for the information required in regard to the number of 
persons to whom bounty lands have been awarded for services in said 
war. 

With regard to the last section, this office has no data by which an 
estimate, or proximate estimate, of the annual cost of the extension 
of the systems of revolutionary pensions to the soldiers of the war of 
1812, and accompanying Indian wars, could be arrived at. 

With regard to the requirements of the first section of the resolu- 
tion, I have the honor to state, so far as regards the militia force, that 
under a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 29th April, 
1836, a full and minute statement of the whole force of the militia- 
volunteers, rangers, spies and sea-fencibles— engaged in the war of 
1812, was furnished by this office, which included the States in which 
the said troops served ; the years in which they served, with the length 
of their service, which was accompanied by a summary statement of 
the whole, showing an aggregate of officers and men of 471,622. 
This statement will be found in document 20, volume 2, Executive 
Documents, 2d session 24th Congress, and furnishes all the information 
that this office possesses in regard to that description of troops. 

m With regard to the regular forces, I have to state that, in order to 
give the whole number of t-oops engaged in the war of 1812, and to 
do justice to the troops who enlisted prior to the war, and who neces- 
sarily had to serve therein, either for a portion or the whole of their 
time, I have commenced my computation from the year 1807, for the 
reason that the enlistments then authorized were for live years. 

As there were no regular troops authorized to be enlisted for a period 
less than twelve months, none (except in cases where improper recruits 
were made) served for a less period than one month. But with regard 
to the militia— of which there were an aggregate of 471,622—1 find 
that out of that number 145,590 officers, non-commissioned officers, 
and men, served for a less period than one month ; and of the number 
engaged in Indian wars during the same period, say 70,919, the 
number of officers and men who served less than one month was 1,734. 



NUMBER OF TROOPS IN LAST WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN. 

The result of the investigation is set forth in the following table, viz 





T 
CD 

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O cc 

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13 
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a 

"x . 

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•—. (-1 






Regular army. 


a ° 

o 



Non comm 

oflice 


Men. 


Total. 


There were nu enlistments authorized for 










the regular army for a less period than 












2, 902 


6,786 


46,964 


5G.652 


Militia, \r. 










To the above nnmber. add the militia force 










furnished inastati menl from this office, 










dated 12th December, 1836, and found 










in Executive Documents, second ses- 










sion, twenty-fourth Congress, volume 












31,210 


57,646 


382,766 


471,622 


Ciraiul total. 


34,112 


G4, 432 


429,730 


528,274 














< If the whole number of militia force, as 










above stated, it appears this number 










served less than one month 


9,679 


18,420 


117,491 


145, 590 


• 'ut of the whole force of the militia en- 










gaged in the war of 1812, it appeared 










that this number were engaged in In- 










dian wars, as near as tan be arrived at 


4,945 


8,306 


57,C71 


70,919 


of this force, it appears that this number 










served less than one month 


143 


202 


1,379 


1,734 



Recapitulation. 



Whole Dumber in service for more than one month. 
Whole Dumber in ser\ii i lian one mouth . 



Whole number in service in Indian war for more 
than one month 

Whole Dumber in service in Indian war less than 
one month 



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•24, 633 


4G, 012 


9,679 


18,420 


4,802 


8, 091 


143 


212 



a 

CD 



312,239 

117,491 



56,292 

1,379 



3 



382, 684 
145,590 



528, 274 



69, 185 

1,734 

70,919 



NUMBER OF TROOPS IN LAST WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN. .') 



The men engaged in the Indian wars during the war of 1812, 
there can be no doubt, served more tours of duty than one ; hence 
the large aggregate. 

The only certain means I have to arrive at the number of troops 
engaged in Indian wars, from the close of the revolutionary war till 
the war of 1812, is derived from the report of the Secretary of War, 
the Hon. H. Knox. See American State Papers, volume 1, Military 
Affairs, from page 5 to 69, viz : 

Troops in service, including officers, 1789 840 

General Harmar's command, 1700 1,453 

General St. Clair's command, 1791 2,300 

Troops to December, 1792 5,120 

Troops to June, 1794 3,578 

Troops to November, 1794 3,029 

Troops to December, 1794 3,228 

Acid Indian war, ascertained from Third Auditor's records: 

General Harmar, November, 1811 1,890 

With great respect, your obedient servant, 

ROBERT J. ATKINSON, 



Auditor. 



Hon. J. B. Floyd, 

Secretary of War. 



Department or toe Interior, 

March 3, 1858. 

Sir : I have the honor to transmit to you the report of the Com- 
missioner of Pensions as to the "number of persons to whom bounty 
lands have been awarded for services in 1812 and in the Indian wars 
since the revolution," made in pursuance of the resolution of 
Congress. 

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

J. THOMPSON, 

Secretary . 
To the President. 



Pension Office, 

Marcli 2, 1858. 
Sir : In pursuance of the resolution of Congress, calling for the 
" number of persons to whom bounty lands have been awarded for 
services in 1812 and in the Indian wars since the revolution," I have 
the honor to submit the following statement : 



o 



Bounty land granted for military service in the war of 1812.. 224,000 
Bounty land granted for military service in the Indian wars. . . 57,000 



Number of persons who have received bounty land 281,000 



G NUMBER OF TROOPS IN LAST WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN. 

The statement is given in round numbers, but, it is believed, 
approximates very nearly to the number of persons to whom bounty 
land has been granted for services in the wars mentioned. 
I am, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant, 

GEO. C. WHITING, 

Commissioner. 

Hon. J. Thompson, 

Secretary of the Interior. 



146 



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